Parade Position

T-34C PRIMARY FORMATION FLIGHT TRAINING

CHAPTER THREE

Wing

Fails to trim for increasing airspeed.

Wing exceeds 170 knots.

Misjudges relative motion and closure, causing Wing to either stagnate or underrun prior to

reaching the 20 feet stepdown position.

Misjudges relative motion during the underrun resulting in excessive separation.

Running Rendezvous Keys to Success:

Lead

Be a stable platform while complying with course rules departure.

Wing

Use proper takeoff interval.

Avoid high closure rates.

Maintain proper stepdown at all times.

If uncomfortable with the closure rate, execute the underrun procedures.

Trim for the increasing airspeed and retrim after stabilizing in position.

304. PARADE POSITION

Parade formation is used for flight in congested areas, traffic patterns, instrument conditions,

demonstrations, etc. The advantages are that it requires a minimum of airspace, provides good

visual communications between aircraft in the flight, is easily and positively controlled by Lead,

and presents a neat military appearance. The disadvantages are that it provides less

maneuverability than single aircraft flights, requires almost constant power adjustments by the

Wingman, is fatiguing if conducted for long periods, and inhibits proper lookout doctrine by the

Wingman.

The parade position is defined as "a fixed position on the 45 bearing line on either the port or

starboard side of Lead." The parade position is described as approximately 10 feet of

stepdown beneath the leader, 20 feet of nose-to-tail clearance, and 4 feet of wingtip

separation. If positioned properly for the parade position, the Wingman will see Lead's

prop arc bisecting Lead's inboard wing (the "midpoint" of that wing), the "ventral point"

on the opposite aileron cutout, and the exhaust stack hidden by the wing (Figure 3-4). Wing

must strive to always "zero out" the relative motion between aircraft.

SECTION PARADE 3-7